Want to sew Up a Bateau in KNIT?? No problem, you can sew one in a knit of your choice and even skip that pesky zipper!!! WOHOOO! If you are looking for the main Bateau Sew Together, go HERE.
Ok, first, let's talk fabric:
You want a stable knit with good recovery. Two or four way stretch will both work fine. Avoid super thin knits, or knits that stretch out and grow as you work with them. So, no slubs, no super slinky sweater knits, and no jerseys with minimal stretch and limited recovery.
Here are some fabrics that are perfect; DBP, scuba, cotton lycra, etc... Rayon spandex blends can work as well, just watch the weight for stability.
No Zipper???
That's right!!! You can skip the zipper on your knit Bateau, the stretch will allow you to slip the dress on and off without the need of an opening and closure.
Stitching:
Because the garment will stretch, you want to be more conscious of the way you are stitching your garment. The neck and armscye can be sewn with a straight stitch just like the standard garment construction. The waist seams on the other hand will need to be able to stretch a bit without popping stitches. So for these seams, you will want to use a stretch stitch of some sort. Some good options are to serge the seams, sew with a lightning bold stretch stitch, or to sew with a very long and narrow zig zag stitch.
Sizing:
I'm doing the same exact size I would do in woven. If you are still putting in a zipper in your knit version, you can size down 1 size in width through the chest and waist only.
Picking the right starting size is so important, so take a minute and think about the measurements for your child. How long ago did you take those measurements?? Do you have measurements, or are you going off their standard RTW size??? Have you checked their measurements against the size chart for this pattern, or are you going off the size they normally fit into for other pattern companies.
I swear the difference between sewing something that you are 'ok' with and sewing something you absolutely 'LOVE' will be in this step right here.
I had to follow my own advice and take new measurements of Mack. She is a 7/10 blend. Which means that she is a 7 in length and overall a 10 in width. Now, her waist is a solid 10 and her chest is just a hair under a 10. My Mack is 5 (almost 6), so she does not have a tween figure developing yet. Tween figures are denoted by the beginning of the narrowing of the waist in comparison to the broadening of the rib cage and back. The drafting of this pattern reflects this change by having a change in the waist/chest differential between a size 8 and a size 10.
Because of this, I cut the 10 width at the waist and then followed it straight up like the size 8. The waist bands are a straight 10 and the skirt is a 10 width and 7 length.
If you have any questions about blending sizes, choosing the right size based on measurements, or anything else, just ask!!!
Cutting:
For knit you will still cut main and lining of the bodice and waistband as written and follow the construction accordingly.Cutting:
If you are dealing with a thicker fabric like scuba or french terry, or even a nicer weight cotton lycra; you can omit the lining. But now you are going to need an alternate method for finishing the neckline and armscye. The best thing to do is a knit bias binding. I love bias bindings and you will find them on many RTW garments. If you aren't familiar with bias bindings, you can check out this tutorial to help you out.
If bias trim seems a little difficult for you for this project, you can also simply turn your raw edge to the inside 3/8 inch and stitch in place along the neckline and armscyes. I recommend using a twin needle or an overlocker for a more professional looking finish, but a long straight sitch or zig zag stitch will do the trick as well.
I am doing a fully lined knit dress, but I might try an unlined one too for a more casual summer play dress feel.
Construction:
You are going to construct the garment as written. the one exception is that you will sew up BOTH side seams rather than leaving one open for zipper insertion.
You can do your skirt as written with pleats, or you can make a gathered skirt. This way you can mix up your Bateaus and have a closet full of different looks.
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Enjoy sewing all the Bateaus, and show them off in the Winter Wear Designs Fun Group!!!!
